Configure Brocade 200E for CX-3 & CX-4

We are new to SAN. Currently we are using CX-3 connected to 2 Brocade 200E switches. Recently we purchased CX4 and we have 8 ports free on each switches. Shall anyone explain the setps to connect the new CX4 to existing switch and also 2 servers. All ports are already licensed from Brocade and we are aware of configuring LUNs & Raid groups. We don't have experiance in configuring the switches and connecting the CX4 & servers to the Switch ports.

Re: Configure Brocade 200E for CX-3 & CX-4

Thanks a lot, Can you please tell me more about zone. As mentioned before, we already using these switches for CX3. So to avoid making any mistakes, it will be helpful if you point me any docs or steps in creating zones

Re: Configure Brocade 200E for CX-3 & CX-4

Before starting anaything about zoning, since your switches were already running you perhaps have an active zone configuration.

To verify that you can enter the following command on your switch:

cfgshow

It will show you the current zoning configuration. If you post the result of this command, it will be easier to understand your configuration and help you.

Be very carefull when you work on zoning, it's not difficult, but you can easily stop all SAN access if you make a mistake. They are many rules to manage zoning in the right way, the most important to remember is the following: never work on both fabrics at the same time, always one after the other or you may disrupt your SAN traffic. With this precaution, if there is an error in your configuration, you'll affect only one path from servers to disks.

Re: Configure Brocade 200E for CX-3 & CX-4

I think your zoning configuration, even if it works fine, doesn't respect the best practices, and could bring you into troubles:

EMC choosed a WWN zoning. When you choose this kind of zoning instead of port zoning, it permits you to plug off a fiber from your switch and plug it in anywhere else in the same fabric, it will still work because the correspondance is done between WWNs and not between the switch's ports.

If you name aliases as they've done (PORT_XX) and somebody moves a fiber from a port to another you won't be able to know who is who!

I suggest you name your new aliases (and rename old ones) with the name and the port of your server or your storage, for example: myserver_portA.

Re: Configure Brocade 200E for CX-3 & CX-4

I agree that the used namingconvention isn't the best one when doing WWN Zoning and doen't help readabilty wise

However I don't agree with the part where you state you wil not be able to know who is who.

You know the servers wwn's if not look then up with tools provided bij hba vendor

You also know the wwn's of your storage boxes (and they also know the wwn of your servers if you provisioned storage)

Fabric side : Portshow ns(all/cam)show nodefind will continue to display the right wwn/id and ports. With the wwns available from servers/storage and zoning configuration you can figure out who is who.

Its not pretty its not easy but it is possible.

And if all that should fail, follow a cable to know who attaachd to what port an go from there.

Re: Configure Brocade 200E for CX-3 & CX-4

I find out which servers are connected (using HBAnywhere Utility), but how do I find out storage wwn. Also for the decommissioned server still it's showing with the Switch port, how can we free up the port in Switch?

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